This basket could use some colorful bacopa
Bacopa (Sutera grandiflora) is a low-growing, mounding annual and a favorite for many gardeners for hanging baskets, borders and ground cover. Growing no more than 6 inches high, its small, green leaves can barely be seen through masses of tiny white, pink or purple flowers. They can be found trailing over the edges of stones in the landscape and over the rims of pots and window boxes. Bacopa also makes a good midsummer replacement for alyssum.
Instructions
1. Buy bacopa plants at your local garden center or nursery in late spring. Choose plants that are already in flower or about to bloom for best results.
2. Cultivate an area in your garden with a spade, choosing a spot that gets only partial sun for most of the day. Moisten soil thoroughly before planting. Bacopa can easily dry out in full sun, causing the blooms to die and drop off. If you're planting in containers, fill them with potting soil and moisten thoroughly with water.
3. Remove bacopas from their nursery pots. You may need to tap the bottom and sides of the pot before they will come out. Dig a small hole in the soil and nestle the roots of the bacopa firmly into it. Pat the soil down around the roots to eliminate air spaces. Water again after planting.
4. Water bacopa frequently during the growing season so the soil never completely dries out, especially if it's in a container or hanging basket, where dryness is most likely to occur. If the soil dries out, the bloom cycle can be interrupted for several weeks.
5. Add a pinch of all-purpose plant fertilizer to the water once a month for continued vigorous blooms well into October.
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